Product-service system-oriented business models: a taxonomy of startups in the mobility sector

Abstract

Startups are becoming increasingly important in the mobility sector and are putting established companies under pressure to adapt their business models. Especially, the automotive industry faces a significant change from an automotive manufacturer towards a mobility provider. However, literature does not provide a comprehensive understanding of the elements and archetypes of product-service system-oriented business models of startups in the mobility sector. This paper provides a taxonomy with six dimensions and 55 characteristics based on the analysis of 34 startups' business models. Four clusters can be described as the result of a cluster analysis. Thus, a deeper understanding of the business models and a starting point for future research and practical application is provided. Furthermore, based on the results, implications for research and practice like dominated characteristics of product-service system-oriented business models as well as future research directions are pointed out.